Geschlossene elektrische Ströme in thermoelektrisch-anisotropen Kristallen

Abstract

In anisotropic (homogeneous) crystals the thermoelectric field produced by a temperature field is in general not irrotational; charge carriers moving on closed curves in the crystal gain energy in this field. Therefore stationary closed electric currents must be flowing in these crystals. The current distributions and electrical potentials in some „two-dimensional“ temperature fields are calculated.These closed electric currents producing JOULE-, THOMSON-, and BRIDGMAN heat influence the temperature distribution in the crystal, and contribute to the heat current by convective heat transport. The total heat flow is increased by a factor which depends on the geometry of the crystal and on the temperature distribution, but which not exceeds [1 + (ε∥ — ε⟂)2/4 L], where (ε∥ — ε⟂) is the anisotropy of the thermoelectric power and L is the LORENZ number.